Month: December 2017

Don’t Let a Crisis Freeze Your Business-Blue Bell’s 2015 recall is a lesson in crisis management

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

When it comes to customer loyalty and crisis response, communication is key.

And a little planning can go a long way toward repairing the damage.

Blue Bell is a great example of how a company can bounce back from a potentially reputation-damaging event.

For ice cream connoisseurs living in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and a few surrounding states, Blue Bell isn’t just a brand of ice cream – it’s THE brand of ice cream.

Known for its nostalgic packaging and down-home personality as much as for iconic flavors like Cookies ‘n Cream, Dutch Chocolate, and its original Homemade Vanilla – Blue Bell is a beloved Texas institution with a die-hard fan base.

But in the spring of 2015, “The Little Creamery in Brenham” – which is actually a $600 million-dollar corporation with manufacturing plants and operations in several states – was linked to a Listeria outbreak that originated in the company’s Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, factory.

Three people died, and at least ten people were hospitalized.

For the first time in its history, Blue Bell recalled its products from store shelves.

A temporary shutdown – another first for the company – followed, as Blue Bell brought in outside specialists to clean and sanitize every piece of equipment used in the manufacturing process.

As the cleanup efforts got underway in the company’s plants, a different kind of cleanup began in Blue Bell’s Brenham, Texas, headquarters.

Blue Bell executives hired a public relations and crisis communication expert to help them craft a response and manage their interactions with customers and the community.

 

Hesitation isn’t an option

In the event of a crisis – whether it’s a Listeria outbreak, a defective product, or even a data breach involving sensitive customer data – you can’t afford to hesitate.

At best, your silence and inaction is interpreted as evasiveness; at worst, you’re opening the door to rumors, speculation, and accusations.

Blue Bell hired Gene Grabowski, a self-described “Crisis Guru” and public relations expert, to help them re-establish consumers’ and retail partners’ trust in Blue Bell ice cream.

Grabowski has seen this dynamic firsthand, and he has worked on crisis management campaigns for companies ranging from toy manufacturers to pet food companies to national restaurant chains.

The company’s efforts paid off.

With Grabowski’s guidance, Blue Bell survived the recall with its reputation largely intact.

Rather than pointing fingers or voicing criticisms, loyal customers rallied around Blue Bell and took to social media to voice their support, creating fan pages like “We Stand With Blue Bell Creameries.”

 

 

When the company released a limited selection of products post-recall, fans took triumphant midnight selfies in front of newly stocked shelves.

The lesson? When people really love a product or company, they’re willing to forgive and forget. Tweet this

Of course, not every company in crisis has the advantage of a big-name PR guru.

We interviewed Gene Grabowski to learn more about responding to a crisis with your reputation and your customer base intact.

 

Build your team

Grabowski says that effective crisis communication does not start with a plan.

He’s quick to point out that plans are important, but a good strategy should begin with people.

It’s critical to have a team already positioned when there’s a crisis--one that’s been carefully assembled beforehand, because it’s impossible to do that in the midst of the chaos.

There are too many variables in a crisis that can never be planned for – like looking up and seeing CBS on the doorstep.

Your plan can predict what 100 questions could be, but remember, there could be that 101st question that you weren’t expecting .

It takes creativity and experience to know how to answer that one as well.

-Gene Grabowski

 

For some companies, it might make sense to look in-house and build a team of creative, smart people who can remain cool under pressure.

Other companies – like Blue Bell, for example – may prefer to seek outside help from a consultant or company that specializes in crisis communication.

Either way, Grabowski’s advice remains the same: Build your team first.

From there, if you want to sketch out a rudimentary crisis response plan, that’s fine.

But remember that a plan can only take you so far, especially in a crisis where, literally, anything can happen.

 

Assess (and plan for) risk

Once you have a crisis team in place, it’s time to think about worst-case scenarios.

Grabowski recommends creating a matrix of high-risk, highly problematic scenarios.

The list will vary depending on the type of company, product, and customers involved.

For retailers and financial institutions, for example, data breaches and hacking might be at the top of the list.

For food companies, Grabowski says,  “It’s likely that sooner or later, contamination will become an issue.”

Once you have a list of potential crisis situations, think about how you’ll respond.

While every situation and company is different, a basic plan should cover a few broad areas like:

 

  • How are you going to notify your customers of the crisis? How will you ensure that people hear facts, not rumors or theories? Will you issue press releases? Sit for interviews? Who will be the point person for media inquiries?

 

Grabowski says it’s important to send the message that the company understands the problem and is completely focused on finding a solution.

He added that this is how Blue Bell managed to maintain its relationships with its customers and retailers during the time of the crisis. “We spent a great deal of time communicating directly with them about how we were resolving the problem, so that they would trust us enough to keep the product on their shelves when the recall was over,” he said.

Blue Bell made a point of communicating with customers early and often, issuing press releases every time they expanded a recall or learned more about the source of the outbreak.

 

  • Recalls and regulations. This is where an experienced team is critical, says Grabowski. Whether you’re working with in-house executives or an outside consulting team, you’ll want to make sure that you have people on your team who know the rules, inside and out. These are the folks who will help make key decisions — such as Blue Bell’s decision to issue a voluntary recall of their products, rather than waiting for a directive from the FDA.

 

  • Admit your mistake. And then apologize. Don’t underestimate the power of a sincere apology. Rather than sidestepping the issue, admit that you made a mistake – and let your customers know that you’re working to make things right. The company’s CEO and President Paul Kruse released a video apology, saying that the incident had left him “heartbroken.”

 

  • Media (and social media) coverage. “The rumor mill has to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible,” Grabowski said. “You have to react to rumors in real time. Correct everything that’s incorrect and set the record straight immediately.”

 

The best way to approach a media outlet that has published erroneous information is to be direct. “Contact them and say, ‘I know you want to be accurate, so please set the record straight.’ You can’t let rumors grow; they’re like weeds in a garden.”

It’s equally important to pay attention to social media.

Blue Bell made a point of communicating with its customers through social sites like Facebook.

And, not every company has been around as long as Blue Bell (the company is more than 100 years old).

Advantages aside, though, there are a few important lessons that business owners in every industry can take away from the Blue Bell crisis – and its well-crafted response.

We interviewed Gene Grabowski to learn more about responding to a crisis with your reputation and your customer base intact.

 

Build your team

Grabowski says that effective crisis communication does not start with a plan.

He’s quick to point out that plans are important, but a good strategy should begin with people.

“It’s critical to have a team already positioned when there’s a crisis–one that’s been carefully assembled beforehand, because it’s impossible to do that in the midst of the chaos,” Grabowski said. “There are too many variables in a crisis that can never be planned for – like looking up and seeing CBS on the doorstep. Your plan can predict what 100 questions could be, but remember, there could be that 101st question that you weren’t expecting. It takes creativity and experience to know how to answer that one as well.”

For some companies, it might make sense to look in-house and build a team of creative, smart people who can remain cool under pressure.

Other companies – like Blue Bell, for example – may prefer to seek outside help from a consultant or company that specializes in crisis communication.

Either way, Grabowski’s advice remains the same: Build your team first.

From there, if you want to sketch out a rudimentary crisis response plan, that’s fine.

But remember that a plan can only take you so far, especially in a crisis where, literally, anything can happen.

 

Assess (and plan for) risk

Once you have a crisis team in place, it’s time to think about worst-case scenarios.

Grabowski recommends creating a matrix of high-risk, highly problematic scenarios.

The list will vary depending on the type of company, product, and customers involved.

For retailers and financial institutions, for example, data breaches and hacking might be at the top of the list.

For food companies, Grabowski says,  “It’s likely that sooner or later, contamination will become an issue.”

Once you have a list of potential crisis situations, think about how you’ll respond.

While every situation and company is different, a basic plan should cover a few broad areas like:

 

  • How are you going to notify your customers of the crisis? How will you ensure that people hear facts, not rumors or theories? Will you issue press releases? Sit for interviews? Who will be the point person for media inquiries?

 

Grabowski says it’s important to send the message that the company understands the problem and is completely focused on finding a solution.

He added that this is how Blue Bell managed to maintain its relationships with its customers and retailers during the time of the crisis. “We spent a great deal of time communicating directly with them about how we were resolving the problem, so that they would trust us enough to keep the product on their shelves when the recall was over,” he said.

Blue Bell made a point of communicating with customers early and often, issuing press releases every time they expanded a recall or learned more about the source of the outbreak.

 

  • Recalls and regulations. This is where an experienced team is critical, says Grabowski. Whether you’re working with in-house executives or an outside consulting team, you’ll want to make sure that you have people on your team who know the rules, inside and out. These are the folks who will help make key decisions — such as Blue Bell’s decision to issue a voluntary recall of their products, rather than waiting for a directive from the FDA.

 

  • Admit your mistake. And then apologize. Don’t underestimate the power of a sincere apology. Rather than sidestepping the issue, admit that you made a mistake – and let your customers know that you’re working to make things right. The company’s CEO and President Paul Kruse released a video apology, saying that the incident had left him “heartbroken.”

 

  • Media (and social media) coverage. “The rumor mill has to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible,” Grabowski said. “You have to react to rumors in real time. Correct everything that’s incorrect and set the record straight immediately.”

 

The best way to approach a media outlet that has published erroneous information is to be direct. “Contact them and say, ‘I know you want to be accurate, so please set the record straight.’ You can’t let rumors grow; they’re like weeds in a garden.”

It’s equally important to pay attention to social media.

Blue Bell made a point of communicating with its customers through social sites like Facebook.

 

  • Think prevention. All companies have issues to manage — but Grabowski said that when a problem becomes a full-blown crisis, it’s often because the company didn’t deal with it before it got out of hand. Does your organization have any current problems that have the potential to spiral out of control? Make sure you don’t ignore present issues while planning for the future.

 

Crisis recovery—Blue Bell and beyond

Grabowski is the first to admit that Blue Bell has bounced back remarkably well from its listeria crisis. “Their case is very different from most other companies,” he said. “They had the benefit of over 100 years of brand loyalty . . . and they had successfully cultivated a family-owned, family-run image with good old-fashioned family values. That’s how they’ve survived this.”

Of course, that’s not to say startups or companies with a more corporate or edgy image can’t survive a crisis.

As Grabowski is quick to point out, accidents happen to everyone – and the key to surviving is preparation, plain and simple: “You get through this by keeping an open mind for solutions, by having the best people on your team, and by demonstrating that you’re ready to do whatever is necessary to prove the product is safe to be on the shelves again.”

 

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RFP WRITING

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

We’ve written quite a few blogs about how to craft a thoughtful, well-organized response to a request for proposal (RFP).

If you’ve ever been tasked with responding to an RFP, you know that proposal writing takes a staggering amount of work, and just the right balance of art (writing and communication are definitely arts) and science (developing best practices, adhering to all rules and guidelines, etc.)

We’ve also been on the other side of the process – and we’ve learned that writing the actual RFP can require just as much work – and the same balance of creativity and attention to detail.

And we’ve identified some common sets of best practices that will help guide you through the process, whether you’re writing an RFP for a government organization, a private company, or a non-profit organization.

 

Prep work and writing

Grab your color palette and your microscope: Prior to putting the RFP “out on the street” you’ll need to use art and science to define the deliverables; develop a budget; and create project-specific evaluation criteria that will determine award of contract.

 

Task: Scope of work

  • Art- Communication is an art – and as project manager/lead writer, you’ll need to communicate and coordinate with all stakeholders on your team to figure out exactly what services and/or products you’re looking for and how long you’ll need them.
  • Science- You’ll need to create a detailed Scope of Work (SOW) that details of the products, services, and deliverables you expect from a potential vendor. This is the time to think (and write) like a scientist – stick to facts and be as specific as possible about what you need.

 

Task: Budget

  • Art- You’ve no doubt heard of the art of negotiation – but budgeting is an art, too. To avoid setting your budget too high or too low you’ll need to come up with numbers that strike just the right balance.
  • Science- Good, old-fashioned scientific inquiry is key to this step. Some key questions you’ll need to answer include:
  1. How much can your organization afford?
  2. How much do you actually want to spend?
  3. How much do the services and/or products outlined in your SOW typically cost?

 

Task: Timeline

  • Art- Can planning be an art? Absolutely – especially when you’re dealing with a complex project with lots of moving parts. Ideally, you should to give vendors enough time to review your RFP, submit questions, and craft a well-thought-out proposal; you’ll also want to give yourself and your team enough time to review each proposal and select a winner.
  • Science- Create a detailed calendar that outlines each milestone for the RFP process, including:
  1. The date your organization plans to release the RFP
  2. The deadline for vendor questions
  3. The dates and times of any interviews, meetings or Q&A sessions related to your RFP
  4. The date finalists will be notified
  5. The date you’ll announce the winning bid

 

Task: Evaluation Criteria

  • Art- It’s brainstorming time. Get your team together, get creative, and make a list of your “ideal” candidate. What would make a vendor stand out from the crowd? What are your “must-haves” and what are your “nice-to-haves”? Are there any deal-breakers?
  • Science- Now that you know what you want, you’ll need to find a way to make your criteria measurable. You could do this by developing a points system or a rating scale. The goal should be to create a system that will allow you to do an apples-to-apples comparison of all proposals.

 

 Task: Writing, Editing, and Proofreading

  • Art- At this point, you should have everything you need to write a draft of your RFP. Writing is truly an art, and a well-written RFP should communicate your needs clearly and succinctly. The more specific you can be with your instructions and expectations, the better your chances of receiving useful and thorough proposals.
  • Science– Break out the microscope, because you’ll want to review your RFP draft very carefully: Check your facts, re-read your instructions and look for inconsistencies; review facts, dates, and contact information. And don’t forget to do a thorough proofreading to ensure that your final draft doesn’t contain any spelling and grammar errors.

 

Congratulations! If you’ve reached this point, you’ve successfully navigated the art and science of crafting an RFP, and you’re ready to send the draft out into the world.

But don’t hang up your easel and microscope just yet – you’ll need them.

 

Responses, revisions, and compliance

Now that the RFP has been published you can just sit back and wait for proposals to start rolling in, right? Well, not quite.

This phase of the process requires you to actively track responses, answer questions, amend or revise the RFP as needed.

 

Task: Tracking Inquiries

  • Art- You’ll need to know who submitted proposals and when. The “art” part of this task is coming up with a simple, easy-to-update system for tracking responses. This could be anything from a spreadsheet to a living list housed on Google docs to a hand-written note.
  • Science- Whether you’re new to the RFP process or you’re simply trying to find a better way to keep track of proposals, treat this part of the process like a science experiment: Take notes on what works (and what doesn’t), and adjust, adjust, adjust until you’ve got a system that works for you.

 

Task: Answering Questions and Amending RFPs

  • Art- As we mentioned in the “Prep work” section, writing is an art – and you’ll need to bust out your best editorial skills as you review vendor questions and update, revise, or amend your RFP in response.
  • Science- Amending an RFP is a highly-structured process. As you amend your RFP, you’ll need to follow the rules and regulations to the letter, with a laser-like focus and a microscope’s-eye-view of every last requirement.

 

Task: Determining Compliance

  • Art- Your first step toward choosing a winner is a review of all the proposals submitted. At this point, you should be thinking “big picture” — you’ll have plenty of time to get into the weeds during the evaluation phase. Of course, Even with a government RFP, there’s a bit of art and balance involved in deciding whether a proposal is considered “compliant.” For example, if a proposal follows the important rules regarding content, you and your team may decide to overlook the occasional typo or funky formatting error (after all, everyone makes mistakes).
  • Science- Human error and typos are one thing – but rules are rules. While your inner creative may be willing to forgive the occasional misplaced comma, the logical, left-brain part of you should be on high alert for deal-breakers, such as:
    1. Proposals turned in late
    2. Proposals that are missing required/requested information
    3. Proposals that don’t follow your requested structure or formatting
    4. Proposals that do not include required documentation, such as information about insurance, finances, and processes.

 

Evaluation and choosing a winner

As the old saying goes, “All that glitters ain’t gold, and all that’s gold don’t glitter.”

And, in the world of government RFPs, you’ll need to separate the gold from the glitter to choose finalists or a winning vendor.

Simple compliance isn’t quite enough, and attractive design can only go so far (we’ve seen our share of “pretty” proposals with surprisingly little substance).

Your team will have to use a combination of creativity, communication, and objective “just-the-facts” judgment to evaluate each proposal that makes it past the initial “compliant or not” screening.

 

Task: Evaluating Proposals

  • Art- You’ll need to artfully manage and facilitate team communications to ensure every member of the evaluation team is given equal consideration.
  • Science- You’ll also need to make sure that the team sticks to your agreed-upon scoring system as they evaluate each proposal. This isn’t a situation where gut feelings should take over.

 

Task: Negotiations and Award

  • Art- You’ve selected a winner – and now it’s time to talk terms. At this point in the process, everything is on the table. This is the “emotional” side of the process: Your artful communication skills will help you work with your team to determine deal-breakers and non-negotiables – and help you work with your selected vendor to come to an agreement that makes everyone happy.
  • Science- There’s more to negotiation than making sure everyone gets what they want (or that they’re at least satisfied with the compromise). As you negotiate, you’ll need to get everything in writing and take detailed notes that you can use when you move on to the drafting phase: Purchase orders must be generated and approved per generally accepted accounting principles; and you’ll need to keep an eye out for any scope changes.

 

Task: Contract Writing

  • Art- After the negotiations, it’s time to write up the official contract. Put on your writer/editor hat, and remember to seek feedback from your team members as you write a draft.
  • Science- Documentation of the offer, acceptance, and consideration must be enforceable – and you’ll need to make sure that the contract adheres to any regulations or requirements.

 

Lessons learned

The great thing about writing RFPs is that each one is an opportunity to improve, streamline, and develop a set of creative and scientific best practices that will make things go more smoothly next time around.

We can’t promise that writing an RFP will ever be easy, exactly – but just like any other artistic endeavor, practice makes perfect. Tweet this

And, just like a team of scientists working on an experiment, your RFP team will find ways to improve the RFP writing process and develop a set of best practices that will ensure the best possible end product.

COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS IS NO LONGER NOT AN OPTION- Tips for Navigating the Online Customer Experience

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Gone are the days when a customer walked away from a less-than-stellar dining, shopping, or service-related experience with head held low and disappointment weighing heavy on her shoulders.

Now, an unhappy customer can spread word of a business blunder in the blink of an eye by posting a bad review on Yelp, a scathing video testimonial on YouTube, or an unflattering post on Facebook.

Depending on the day and time, that post/video can go viral, causing pain and suffering for the business that did not seize the opportunity to right the wrong.

It takes insight, patience and a whole lot of customer communication to stay on top of the game these days.

Consider this scenario (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

Jim buys a coupon online for national brand carpet cleaning service.

Prior to the fast-approaching coupon expiration date, Jim calls to set up an appointment to have his carpets cleaned. Customer service representative claims not to know about the availability of online coupons and states she will have someone get back to Jim.

Three days go by – expiration date looms – Jim is sweating. Jim calls back, slightly irritated that the customer service representative did not follow through on her promise. This time, the customer service representative states that the coupon will not be honored.

Jim fumes, then contacts the online customer service department for the coupon company. He considers posting a scathing review of national carpet cleaning service on Yelp, as well as his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

However, before he has time to type up the review, the coupon company contacts the carpet cleaning company about the situation and follows up with Jim. Less than an hour later, a local franchise owner with said national brand contacts Jim, apologizes, clears the coupon with national, and sets up an appointment to clean Jim’s carpets that very week.

Carpets are cleaned and Jim is happy – coffee stains are gone.

Jim writes a great review for carpeting cleaning service on Yelp, Facebook, Twitter…and posts a picture of his spotless living room carpet on Instagram.

Scenarios like this happen millions of times each day, but they don’t always end with happy customers, clean carpets, and positive Yelp reviews.

Even though it seems simple enough to turn the situation around, companies often miss the opportunity to convert an unhappy customer into one that, at the very least, does not write a bad review on social media.

Putting the “Us” in Customer Experience

Evolving digital tools and technologies are strong drivers for changing consumer habits and expectations.

With access to what seems like an infinite amount of information available at the touch of a screen, it’s not surprising that customers expect an efficient purchase process and immediate solutions when problems arise.

But it’s important to note that, while customers’ use of technology may have changed, their expectations for customer service have remained the same: they want to be treated with respect, and they want to feel connected to the brand, the company, the product they are buying.

In their September 2015 article, “Building a design-driven culture” authors Jennifer Kilian, Hugo Sarrazin, and Hyo Yeon state that, in many cases, customers prioritize the experience of buying and using a product over the performance of the product itself.

It’s not enough to just sell a product or service—companies must truly engage with their customers.-Jennifer Kilian, Hugo Sarrazin, and Hyo Yeon

For retailers and service providers, this means it’s critical to know how your customer experience stacks up against the competition.

You’re likely not the only company offering your product or service, after all.

What makes you stand out? Why do your customers choose you? Why do some of them choose to leave? Why did they choose your competitor when your offerings are so similar?

Though not a new concept, the idea of assessing “customer experience,” is a valiant attempt at understanding what, in a nutshell, a business needs to focus on to retain customers and remain in business.

In his October 2010 article, “Understanding the Customer Experience,” Adam Richardson states that, whether it’s on online, through email, on the phone or in person, customer experience is “…the sum of how customers engage with your company and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer.”

Social Media Marketing is the new Direct Mail

So how does today’s retailer stand out from the competition and build positive customer relationships?

In the past, relationship-building took place face-to-face or door-to-door: Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA used to work the cash registers in his stores to better understand his customers and their concerns.

Today, IKEA uses several digital platforms to connect with customers, such as Share Space, a site that encourages customers to share photos of spaces created using the brand’s self-assembled furniture, and “How to Build” videos that show customers how to assemble the furniture.

Even the company’s more traditional printed catalogue is available in an interactive, online version and an accompanying app with a “Place in Your Room” feature that allows users to try out furniture pieces in a virtual sense.

These advanced marketing techniques enhance and expand the customer experience, but never stray from the IKEA mantra: The customer comes first.

Billy Robinett, Vice President of Houston Pizza Venture, LLC – the company that owns the Papa John’s pizza franchise – says that, before the Internet, Papa John’s connected with customers through hand-delivered flyers and direct mail pieces, as well as through sponsorship of school and community events and sports teams.

Those tactics may have worked very well in the pre-Internet era, but today’s tech-savvy customers are less likely to shop at storefronts or pay attention to “snail mail.”

Connecting with customers now means manning the virtual cash registers (i.e., customer support chat lines) or reaching out through viral videos, Facebook posts, or targeted email campaigns.

Robinett says Papa John’s still maintains its strong connections with schools and organizations, but the company has also shifted some of its focus to online ordering and sales to accommodate its customers’ increasing use of web and mobile technologies.

Papa John’s is also embracing social media as a way to create and strengthen its relationships with pizza lovers.

For example, Papa John’s uses Twitter’s customer service tools to scan content on that platform for certain phrases, such as “I am hungry” or words to the effect that someone had a bad experience at any fast food restaurant.

When those phrases are detected, a message is sent directly to the sender, such as, “Hungry? Why not try one of our pizzas – get 10% off with this code,” or “We are sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Have a pizza on us with the code.”

“Technology just opened another door for us to reach our customers,” Robinett said. “We still do a lot of things to create emotional connections with customers, such as showcasing our partnerships with local sports icons like JJ Watt and James Harden, and talking directly to our customers on social media.”

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

In other words, if you want to get a high customer experience score, all it takes is a shift in thinking and some virtual elbow grease.

It’s not that much different than working the cash register or hanging flyers on door handles.

The common denominator between the “old” and the “newer” is communications. Without communications tools, your efforts may fall flat.

Position Your Business for Success

Here are five communications concepts – and tools for implementation – to proactively position your business and connect with current and potential customers in the virtual world:

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

1. Catch your customer’s eye

If you’re not hanging out where your potential customers are hanging out, the potential for getting their attention is slim to none.

Various methods of advertising, media and public outreach, and one-on-one interaction are parts of the equation; but more and more a strong online presence and strategy is an essential element of a business’ marketing plan.

A clean, clear and user-friendly website is a must; as well as informative and engaging content on social media platforms.

Here are a few tips for creating eye-catching, engaging websites and landing pages:

  • Make sure your landing page(s) is crystal clear about what product(s) or service(s) you offer. Attention spans have grown short, and customers are likely to leave a website immediately if the value proposition isn’t clear. Try UsabilityHub to test the efficacy of your landing page headline.
  • Don’t forget a user-friendly mobile website. A growing share of web traffic is from mobile devices. You don’t want to drive away potential business because on-the-go customers are concerned that they won’t be able to shop or reach you on their smartphones.
  • Utilize tools like Qualaroo to get feedback about what’s working and what’s not on your website, and the reasons for both.
  • Make it easy and fun for customers to engage with you on social media. Provide direct connections to your social channels through your website, and monitor them closely with Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. Keep this in mind –social media is another way for people to interact in a one-on-one format, so if you go days without replying to a customer’s question, comment or request, it is on par with not returning a message on your answering machine from the days of yore.

2. Be human, not machine

Put yourself out there, be bold and engage with your customers, particularly when they are not satisfied. Don’t use acronyms or industry-speak. Be relaxed, yet professional. Demonstrate that you care and that you’re improving their life in some way.

Communications tools that help humanize your digital presence include:

  • Use live chat on your website so that you can talk directly to potential customers who have questions or are shopping around and want to get a feel for what you do and how you do it. For many people, Live chat is a first step toward building a relationship with a company. Based on that experience, they may be willing to take the next step.
  • Although many cyber shoppers prefer live chat or email, some want to speak directly to a company representative by phone, so ensure that you have a contact phone number on your website and other marketing materials.
  • Provide training so that your employees are well versed on personalizing a customer’s experience. There are several customer relation management software platforms available that allow you to keep track of customer contact details, time and date of interactions, and many have email and website interface capabilities so that you can interact in a variety of ways.
  • Make sure that your communications products – digital or paper – have content and graphics that are brimming with personality. People trust brands they know. If the voice of your website copy is bland or cold, you are missing a valuable opportunity to build a connection.
  • Experiment with email marketing using tools like , which make it easy to create subscriber forms and send email to your web subscribers. Again, engaging content is key in all communications, including those sent to customers through email.

3. Build their confidence

A business owner knows what his or her company does best.

Don’t be afraid to focus on what you are good at, WHY you do it, and perhaps most importantly, why it will help customers have a happier, simpler, fuller, more informed life.

Customers want and need to know WHY you’re better than all the rest – so tell them. Tweet this

And, telling them why you do it is the icing on the proverbial cake.

Your story sets you apart from the rest, gives you a human face and can set the stage for a long, loyal relationship.

  • Post blogs on your website that provide information about trends in your product line or industry, or that offer useful information to your customers and potential customers. Focus on positive messages – readers on your website want to be encouraged and shown the benefit of what you provide instead of focusing on negativity.
  • Give your customers the floor! Provide them with an easy avenue to write and post a review on your website. The benefits are two-fold: You are one of the first to see the review and can respond to negative feedback quickly, which may result in the customer taking down the review or at least modifying the content. Secondly, many shoppers trust reviews and recommendations from their peers, so a good review may go a long way toward selling your product for you. Be sure to include the reviewer’s name and company, if they allow.
  • Make sure your web copy is current and clean. More is not always better. Consider hiring an experienced consultant to assist in this process – they are good at what they do and bring a fresh eye to the process.
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

4. Put a face to your name

As any good reality show illustrates, people like to know what other people are all about and what makes them tick. The same can be said for the businesses they choose to patronize.

If a company keeps customers at arm’s length, then the customer never establishes a bond with the products or services, and can be easily swayed to the competition.

There are myriad ways that you can involve your customers, from videos to events to a fun contest that you advertise on your website and social media accounts.

  • Post personalized videos on your website. Start with your business’ “birth” story and take it from there. Remember the customer as you are producing and editing these videos – few people are willing or able to watch a 30-minute documentary on any one subject, but will engage in shorter, personal videos about your employees, how you source your product, and what community organizations you support.
  • Use colorful photographs and graphics to communicate your brand to shoppers. Don’t be afraid to try unique and even quirky methods, but always remain true to your brand image. In other words, don’t try to be something you’re not!
  • Create a newsletter that provides content on your latest and greatest products and company news.
  • Create an online customer community where your customers can gather in a web-based environment to discuss problems, post reviews, brainstorm new product ideas and engage with one another about your company’s products, services and brand. offers an online customer community platform that allows you to monitor it from social media so that you can provide input when needed, and gather valuable customer insights.
  • Participate as a sponsor or volunteer in community events. Serve as a mentor at your local elementary, middle or high school. The more you get your face out there, the more customers you may draw to your company because many enjoy aligning themselves with businesses that are dedicated to making a difference in their community.

5. Avoid “turtle syndrome”

Don’t pull your head in and hide when you hear – or see – the words, “I never got…” or “This is not what I ordered…” or even the more general “I am not happy with…”

View these situations as problems to be solved so that a) you improve your product and service; and b) you gain a customer for life.

  • Pick up the phone, or respond to the email, text message or social media post that outlines the customer’s concern, and immediately jump in with both feet and work with your customer to find a solution to the problem.
  • Scan social media platforms for company reviews of all types – good, indifferent or bad, and respond immediately and directly to the reviewer in a positive way. That proactive stance can go a long way toward winning back a customer, and gaining additional customers who witnessed the interaction on social media.
  • Be proactive and ask your customers for feedback. This can be accomplished in many ways – through online surveys ( Monkey is a good source), during live chat or customer service calls, through social media channels or in person. This allows you to draw information from customers who have not provided feedback on their own, but who may have good suggestions from a user’s point of view.

Today’s business climate demands more of business owners and their employees, but the interaction with customers has its benefits: repeat sales, rising profits, and hopefully, long-lasting relationships.

When you feel the responsibilities of the customer experience process weighing heavy on your shoulders, recall the famous words of Sam Walton, founder of the mega-giant retail chain Wal-Mart:

“There’s only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

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